Remy
by Alyssa86InMN
Summary: She doesn't consider herself a cat person, but maybe Kate will make an exception for this cat. Two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is just a two-shot. I haven't written the second part yet, but I should have it up within the next week.**

The first time Kate meets the tiny creature, he startles her. Four months after a gunshot wound to her heart and she is nearly taken out by a black ball of fur booking it out of a bush and into another as she approaches the garden-level entrance to her favorite lunchtime stop. She doesn't consider herself a cat person, and given the number of strays in the city, the tiny kitten would normally have just been part of the landscape of New York, but when she exits Remy's to get to her therapy appointment, the kitten makes a second appearance.

He sits at the top of the stairs and emits a raspy, nearly silent, meow when Kate reappears. The greeting makes her smile. The cat meows with each step she climbs and each quiet meow is tugging at her heart. When she reaches street-level again, she bends down to pet the cat but is surprised when the kitten launches himself onto the sleeve of her red peacoat and claws his way to her shoulder. Kate looks around, half expecting this gregarious kitten to be part of some hidden camera show or an elaborate scheme of Castle's to either brighten her day or annoy her.

Kate attempts to grab the cat and place him back on the sidewalk, but his needly claws are fixed to her coat like he intends on becoming a decorative brooch.

She waits a few seconds, gives the kitten some pets and attempts to remove him again. For the second time, it doesn't work. She glances at her watch. She has to be at her appointment in twenty minutes and it might just take that long to extract the cat.

_Maybe Dr. Burke will let me bring the kitten into my session. _She doesn't want to be at her therapist's office when the kitten decides to run off. What if his mother is somewhere by the restaurant? Kate calculates how much longer she has before she really needs to leave and decides it might just be easier to take the cat with her then bring him back, assuming he is allowed in the building.

Kate strolls down Bleecker Street with the cat perched on her shoulder like she is a pirate with a parrot, all she needs are some crackers and a peg leg. She worries the cat will fall with the momentum of her walking, so she tries to coax the little guy into the crook of her arm and surprisingly he follows.

When Kate arrives at the front door of her destination, the kitten is asleep and purring which Kate can't hear but can feel when she runs her finger against his throat. She takes the stairs to Dr. Burke's third-floor suite and greets the receptionist, tucking her little stowaway further into her coat.

"Do you know, by chance, if Dr. Burke is allergic to cats?"

The receptionist's brow furrows. "I... don't think so. Why?"

"Never mind," Kate says throwing a dismissive wave as she turns to take a seat in the waiting area.

It isn't very long before Dr. Burke calls for Kate to join him in his office. He notices Kate's fidgeting as she passes by him and when they are both seated in his office, he mentions her rigid posture.

"Is everything okay, Kate? You seem…"

"I'm fine. I know this is probably weird, but I have a cat. In my coat. There's a cat in my coat." Kate moves one of her lapels to reveal the kitten, still fast asleep. "I was leaving Remy's just a little bit ago and he really wanted my attention. He ended up climbing up to my shoulder and would not let me put him down. I didn't want to be late, so I brought him along. I hope that isn't a problem."

Dr. Burke chuckles. "It is perfectly fine, as long as he doesn't get into any trouble, but by the looks of it, he'll probably be fine for the next hour."

Kate's shoulders relax and she smiles.

"Do you plan on keeping him?"

"Oh, I don't think so. I don't really have the time for a cat. I don't think I'd be very good for him."

"Most cats are fairly low maintenance pets, especially for someone with a busy lifestyle."

"You think I should keep him?"

"I'm not going to pressure you to do something if you don't want it, but in just the few minutes you've been here with him, I can tell you are more relaxed than you have been in our prior sessions. Maybe keeping him would help you more than you think."

Kate looks down at the cat again. The little furball was warming more than just the crook of her arm, it seems. She smiles and strokes the top of his head.

"I'll think about it," Kate confirms.

* * *

After her session with Dr. Burke, Kate walks back to Remy's as she planned to return the cat to where he came from, but when she approaches the restaurant, the thought of parting with him makes her chest ache. The little guy already seems like such a big part of her life and it's only been two hours. She pauses outside of Remy's and the cat looks up at her with his big green eyes and meows, well at least she assumes he meowed because he still doesn't seem to have an actual voice.

"All right, buddy. I guess you're mine now."

Kate stops by a pet store on her way home and picks up the essentials she thinks she needs for a cat: food, a litter box, litter, and some toys. If there is anything else she will need, she'll have to come back for it, especially since cat litter and food weigh so much.

On her walk home, Kate starts thinking of names for her new family member. The kitten is all black, so she considers names like Midnight or Shadow, but they don't feel right for this kitten. It isn't until she's unlocking the door of her apartment that the perfect name comes to her: Remy.

**A/N 2: The Remy in this story is based on my own Remy, who is pictured in the story icon. He does, in fact, have no voice and when he meows it is either silent or raspy. It wasn't until after I named him Remy that I remembered the Remy's in Castle because I actually named my Remy after the rat from Ratatouille and that is also how he earned his nickname of Bratatouille (because he is quite the brat). Castle will make an appearance in the next chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: All right, second (and last) chapter! Thanks for reading!**

Her coworkers see a change in her demeanor in the weeks after Remy came into Kate's life, but none of them know the reason. It's subtle at first. Ryan catches her smiling at her phone. Esposito notices that she isn't on edge as frequently as she had been. She's no longer watching every step like she's trying to avoid an IED. Castle knows there is a change because he can see it in her eyes. She's lighter, not burdened so heavily with her shooting. She's still the woman he fell in love with, the woman he hopes loves him. She seems happy and while he would give anything for her to be happy, it hurts to think that there may be someone else contributing to it.

One afternoon, the homicide team sits in the precinct break room enjoying a pizza Castle brought for them. Kate excuses herself to use the bathroom, leaving her three boys to devour the remaining slices.

"Do you guys know who Beckett's new guy is?" Esposito asks Ryan and Castle when Kate disappears from view.

Castle nearly chokes on an olive when he gasps while eating. "What? What makes you think she's seeing someone? What have you heard?"

"Relax, Castle. Esposito hasn't heard anything. We've both just noticed that Beckett seems happier lately. Espo automatically assumes it's because of a guy."

"What do you think it is?" Castle asks.

"I'm not sure. It could be a guy. It could just be that she's getting more sleep."

Castle sits back in his seat and his mind becomes hyper-focused on the idea that Kate could be seeing someone. He doesn't even realize when Kate returns from the bathroom until she nudges him in the shoulder and asks if he's okay.

He nods, but he remains distracted and distant the remainder of the day.

* * *

The next morning after Castle delivers Kate's usual vanilla latte, she pulls him aside and away from the gossiping ears of Ryan and Esposito.

"Castle, would you mind coming by my place tonight? There's someone I want you to meet." Kate grins up at him, barely able to contain her excitement.

Castle feels his heart sink and nestle itself in his gut. "Oh, uh, sure. I can stop by. I can't stay long though. I have a…thing later."

"Okay, that's fine. I was going to suggest dinner too, but if you've got other plans, maybe dinner another night?"

"Yeah, of course. What time did you want me to stop by tonight?"

"We can go to my place together after work, if that works for you."

"Yeah, sounds great. Can't wait." Castle forces a smile. He doesn't want to face the reality that Kate will never be his.

* * *

At shift end, Castle's mood has tanked and he tries to fake some enthusiasm at the prospect of meeting Kate's "new guy," but he can't find the energy to pretend that his dreams aren't being crushed.

While Kate unlocks her front door, Castle steels himself for his inevitable heartbreak. Kate's smile beams like a spotlight, but he feels lost in the shadows.

"Okay, just stay here. Let me go get him." Kate scurries off to her bedroom.

Castle looks around her apartment. There don't appear to be any added masculine touches to the place. It looks pretty much the same, except for a…litter box? _Kate doesn't have a cat…_

"You ready, Castle?" Kate calls. "I'd like you to meet Remy." She exits her bedroom, holding a tiny ball of black fur. The ball sleepily blinks its green eyes at Castle and yawns.

"Remy is a cat."

"Good detective skills, Writer Boy," Kate teases.

"You got a cat and you are introducing him to me."

Kate furrows her brow. "Did you hit your head while I was in there? Why are you explaining everything I'm doing?"

"I guess I was expecting… not a cat." Castle shrugs.

Kate smirks. "Did you think I was bringing you here to introduce you to a new boyfriend?"

"Maybe…" Rick draws out the syllables.

Kate reaches out and puts a hand on his shoulder, keeping her other hand wrapped around the kitten against her chest. "There is definitely nobody else, Rick."

Rick raises his eyebrows at Kate's use of _nobody else._

"Did you want to hold him or pet him?"

"Sure, sure, of course!" Rick reaches out for Remy and cradles him to his chest like Kate had. Rick runs his fingers down Remy's head then starts scratching his chin. He can feel the steady rumble of Remy's purr against the pads of his fingers.

"He's a sweet boy. I found him outside of Remy's a few weeks ago. It's like he knew I needed him or something."

"So that's how you got his name."

"Yeah. I had an appointment after lunch that day and I ended up having to bring him along because I couldn't get him to let me put him down. Then after my appointment, I didn't want to bring him back. He's been mine ever since." Kate stands inches from Castle and smooths a hand over Remy's back.

"Or you've been his ever since."

Kate smiles. "You know, he kind of reminds me of you, in a way."

"Adorable? Irresistible?"

"More like he came into my life and wouldn't leave." Kate playfully glares at him. "But also, he's sweet and he's something I didn't realize I was missing in my life, something I needed. He helps me heal." Kate meets Castle's eyes and smiles. "He's also easy to love."

Castle releases a muted gasp and stops stroking Remy's fur leaving his hand on the cat's back. Kate rests her hand on top of Castle's and gives it a quick squeeze before removing both and leading him to her couch.

Castle sits awkwardly against the cushion. He has a hard time believing anything that is happening is actually real.

Kate sits beside him, no room between them, her cat now resting in Castle's lap. Kate turns to sit sideway on the couch, her shin resting against his thigh and her arm along the back of the couch.

"I want you to know that I'm not ready for a relationship quite yet, but I'm getting there and I still hope you'll be there when I am." Kate worries her lip between her teeth.

"Oh, uh, of course, Kate!"

"Good, good." Kate glances at Castle's lips then gives him a shy smile when their eyes meet again. She moves her arm from the back of the couch and lays it across his shoulders. Castle leans toward her, disturbing Remy's sleeping position. The cat jumps from his lap and meanders toward his litter box, unfazed by the two humans on the couch.

"Kate…" Castle murmurs before Kate obliterates the distance between them and kisses him.

The kiss is tentative at first, but then they both feel relief. They are each other's oases in their own deserts. Their relief comes from finally getting to sip from the other's lips.

Before Kate can move to sit in Castle's lap, he pulls away. She tries to bring him back into the action, but he stops her.

"Kate, there is nothing I want more than to keep kissing you, but if we don't stop now, I won't be able to stop. I don't want to push you if you aren't ready."

Kate sighs and falls back into the couch. She blows a strand of hair from her face and says, "you're right. I hate that you're right, but you are."

"I can order us some dinner if that is still an option for you," Castle suggests.  
"I thought you had something going on later?"

"That was a lie. I was expecting to meet a hunky big-shot boyfriend and I really didn't want to have to eat dinner with the two of you," Castle admits, his embarrassment coloring his cheeks.

Kate smiles and asks, "you'd be okay eating dinner with me and my 'new guy' now that you know he's a two-pound kitten with a lot of attitude, right?"

"He's tough competition, but I think I can take him," Castle jokes.

"I don't know, Castle. Remy can get a little possessive in the middle of the night. I'm not sure he'd be willing to share me." Kate smirks and before standing from the couch to get a takeout menu, kisses Castle on the cheek and whispers, "good thing my bedroom has a door."

**A/N2: If you are interested in seeing more pictures of my Remy (and my other cat, Maisie too), be sure to follow me on any of my social media accounts.**

**Twitter/Instagram: AlyssaWriting**  
**Tumblr: MonaLyssa33**


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